The Frontrers of the Sciences 



single spirit, the scientific spirit, penetrate all 

 the cells of the hive. 



Such a change would offer numerous ad- 

 vantages. The conviction would become general 

 that isolated facts are without scientific interest 

 and should only be studied to ascertain their 

 laws. Meteorology might find it worth while 

 to digest this truth. I also fancy that it would be 

 generally accepted that observation and ex- 

 periment are the sole avenues of knowledge. 

 This conviction in the past would have spared 

 us long memoirs of mathematical physics. But 

 my chief hope is that in future the type of 

 scientific finality which is merely a survival of 

 the theological spirit will be banished from our 

 arguments. It is difficult to credit the number 

 of false arguments which still cling to our science 

 and send us into cheap ecstasies over the har- 

 monies of Nature. Some may still believe that 

 water increases in volume when it freezes, in 

 order to prevent the ocean from congealing in 

 bulk and destroying all the fishes; though the 

 same phenomenon in winter bursts the vessels of 

 plants and injures the whole vegetable kingdom. 



It is in fact incredible that this sanctimonious 

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